AR Ramblings

I was finally able to do my first long run since the shoulder snafu, about 6.5 weeks ago. The weather was perfect, with sunny skies, light winds, and temps in the 50’s. I did a 19 mile-ish run, with 2450ft of climbing in about 3:25. Not great, but not too terrible considering I was unable to run at all for over a month. My legs are pretty sore today, but I’m a bit relieved because the shoulder didn’t bother me too much, even while wearing a light pack. I should definitely be able to complete Umstead next month. My time may not be as good as I was hoping for earlier in the year, but at least I can race again.

This reminds me that I never wrote any updates about the shoulder. Here’s a quick time line:

• Weeks 1 and 2: I couldn’t do anything that involved shoulder movement. Trying to lay down, sleep, or carry a cup of coffee was painful. Vonda wondered aloud if she would be able to put up with my whining for the duration of my recovery (The whining was about not being able to run or bike…not about the pain). I saw an orthopedist, which was a complete waste of time. It seems that since I don’t play with balls, I’m not a real athlete. He actually asked me if I played football or baseball, and when I said no, informed me that everything would be fine…to go home and not worry about it. I have no idea what alternate reality this imbecile was living in, that made him think ultra-distance running, biking, kayaking and climbing do not involve any significant shoulder movement. He basically refused to answer any of my questions. The only thing I learned is that he believed I had a Grade III separation. I can definitely tell you where NOT to go if you need an orthopedist. I decided to just find a good PT to help with my recovery.
• Week 3: I can (very slowly) touch the top of my head with my hand. Woohoo! I strapped the arm tightly against my body with the sling and managed a very light 30 minutes on the spin bike.
• Week 4: Lots of progress is made in week 4. I can kind of lift my arm above my head and carry my coffee now. Vonda convinces me to go to my first spin class. I do 30 minutes before I need to put the arm back in the sling and finish the class at a slightly easier intensity. I went hiking for an hour or so, with an easy 1 mile run in the middle.
• Week 5: On the first day of week 5, I’m finally able to get in for some physical therapy. I’d decided to wait until I could see someone who actually understands endurance athletes. I saw Thomas Minton, who is an endurance athlete himself (he did TMHTE!). It was comforting not to be looked at like a mentally unstable person when I told him I had a couple of 100 mile runs planned in the coming months. Also, since he knew that I do adventure races, he assumed that I probably had a pair of trekking poles and suggested a way to workout with my poles that might help with recovery! (I doubt if the ortho I saw earlier even knows what a trekking pole is). Thomas was also able to give me some specific suggestions for resuming running that I found very helpful. BTW, he also offers an excellent runners clinic that I highly recommend, which includes video analysis of your running form and other testing, for both injury prevention and performance enhancement.
• Week 6: I do a couple of 30-45 minute, high intensity runs, and finish the week with a 6-8 miler. The Parkway is closed due to ice storm debris at certain elevations, so I try a short road bike. I have no problems on the ascent, but the descent sucks. The shoulder feels unstable and I have to support myself mostly on one arm.
• Week 7: The long run returns!!! I also try the road bike again,and it feels better this time on the descent. I figure I have about 95% range of motion back, but only 20%-60% of my strength and stability in the joint, depending on the activity. Hopefully this will improve after a few months. I can probably be satisfied with 90% of my previous strength, but anything less will be…well, lets just say that it will not be cool at all! More updates later…